Hortau was among the Canadian “water solutions” companies showcased at the 10th Annual Sustainability Summit on April 29 at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, Calif.

The focus of the summit, hosted by the Los Angeles Business Council, was “California’s Energy and Water Future in a Global Market.”

Hortau was one of two Canadian companies highlighted by James Villeneuve, Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, during the final session of the day, “Partnership Solutions to Address California’s Water Crisis.”

Founded in Québec in 2002, Hortau has its U.S. headquarters based in San Luis Obispo, Calif., providing its irrigation management services to hundreds of growers throughout California. Hortau has also expanded its presence in the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and High Plains.

Hortau was recently named to Global Cleantech’s Top 100 Companies to Watch list by the Cleantech Group, recognizing “companies that are best positioned to solve tomorrow’s clean technology challenges and have the greatest impact on the market.”

“They’re operating in your fields here, in the agricultural sector, which is important for Canada,” Villeneuve said of the largest importer of agriculture products from California and the U.S. “What they do is measure the soil on a regular basis in terms of the water you’re using and there’s a couple of things that does: It measures the tension in the soil so you can calibrate the water you use, get better yield and use less water – versus having water that’s not properly used.”

UV Pure Technologies, an Ontario-based company that specializes in UV water purification systems, was also showcased during the presentation by Villeneuve.

“Both of those companies are great examples of how Canadian technologies are participating in the water situation here in California,” Villeneuve said.